January 20, 2010 Comments Off on Beyond the Ballot: Latino Political Participation in Washington State

We investigated the political participation of Latinos in five Washington State locales: the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Walla Walla, Seattle, and Vancouver. Specifically, we identified and explored the main factors that either discourage or facilitate political participation among Washington’s Latinos, and what policies, laws, and grassroots actions can be effectuated to encourage higher levels of Latino political […]

January 20, 2010 Comments Off on Re-districting Policies and Their Effect On Public Elementary School Demographics in Walla Walla, WA

My final project examines the ways in which school diversity can be impacted by certain policies which determine where each student attends school. I attempted to answer the following questions by examining a particular case in the Walla Walla Public Schools (WWPS), located in a town of about 30,000 in southeast Washington: (1) How have […]

December 11, 2009 Comments Off on Walla Walla Poverty Assessment: How Transportation, Healthcare, Employment, and Domestic Abuse Affect Latinos and Others in Poverty

This study examines the characteristics and causes of poverty in Walla Walla, WA, particularly for the Latino population. The research asks several questions: due to the inherently multifarious nature of poverty itself, how do the variables of employment, transportation, health care, and domestic abuse affect the poor population? Additionally, what is being done currently to […]

December 11, 2009 Comments Off on The State of the State for Vineyard Farmworkers in the Walla Walla Valley

This research analyzes how the unique position of the wine industry as a combination of retail and agricultural production affects the particular health, housing, and labor needs of vineyard farmworkers. How has this come about, and what are the most effective means to address these needs? I investigate the structural characteristics of Washington wine grape production, such as […]

December 11, 2009 Comments Off on Unequal Opportunity: Latinos and Local Political Representation in Washington State

This report examines the level of Latino local political representation in the ten counties of Washington State with the highest percentage Latino populations: Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Okanogan, Skagit, Walla Walla, and Yakima. In particular, it is meant to build on previous research that found that Latinos were underrepresented on school boards and […]

November 25, 2009 Comments Off on Towards Closing the Achievement Gap: Increasing Academic Preparedness and Ambition among Latino Students

This report examines methods of fostering Latino students’ postsecondary success, specifically asking the question: How effective has the GEAR UP program’ s approach to achieving academic preparedness and postsecondary ambition been at Walla Walla High School? This report profiles the best methods of improving students’ academic capabilities to prepare them for postsecondary education and analyzes […]

November 25, 2009 Comments Off on The Future of the Children of Immigrants: A Study of Latino Higher Education Aspirations and Abilities

This study examines the higher education aspirations and abilities, as well as outcomes, of young Latino children of immigrants. I aim to answer the following questions: How do various factors related to immigration affect Latino high school students’ personal aspirations and practical abilities to go on to higher education? What are the determining factors, with respect to […]

November 25, 2009 Comments Off on Low Income Latinos’ Housing Stability: The Small Rural Town Perspective

This study investigates the characteristics and causes of housing related problems for Latinos/as in low-income neighborhoods in rural small cities such as Walla Walla, Washington. Specifically, what factors foster rental stability or instability in Walla Walla? Also, what is the quality of housing in Walla Walla like? Is there substandard housing in Walla Walla? What […]

November 15, 2009 Comments Off on Is There an Exit From the Labyrinth of “Horizontal” Low-wage Jobs for Farmworkers?

I investigated the difficulties that farmworkers encounter in keeping their employment and the reasons that hamper them to go up the ladder in the agricultural industry. The goal of my research was to find out why just a small number of the Latino farmworkers succeed in achieving upward job mobility. Methods: I began working on […]